Lost Legends
by Soth11
Summary: This is a story about Yosho's time on earth. The seting is primarily in WWII where he befriends an American bomber pilot.
1. Chapter 1

This is my second fic. Tenchi Muyo is the property of AIC and Pioneer. I hope you like it. Any resemblence to other fics is purely coincidental. This fic is also not historically acurate, it is just a story. Well here goes.

Chapter 1 Wartime Memories

My name is Joseph Billings, call me "Joe", Captain, U.S. Army Air Corps Retired.

"What are you thinking about granpa." the young boy asked while going through the second katra of his warm ups. "You're awful quiet."

"Just some memories from a long time ago. Bring you're right arm up five inches and shift your stance to the right by ten degrees." the old man replied with a wistful smile as the young boy complied with the instructions.

"How's that granpa?" the boy asked.

"That's perfect Johnny." the old man replied. "Johnny, how would you like to go to Japan?"

"To the place you keep thinking about granpa?" Johnny replied eagerly "You bet I would."

"School will be out in about 3 weeks and that should be time enough to get the passports and other stuff ready for the trip." The old man replied with a smile remembering his sensai from long ago. "I believe he has a grandson a little older than you are, as well as some other guests."

"Granpa?" Johnny asked quietly, "could you not tell them about my condition? I don't want them to treat me like I'm made outta glass or something."

"Allright Johnny I won't. You can tell them when you feel like it, ok? Are you ready to spar now grandson?" he asked with a smile.

"You bet granpa and this time I'll beat you." came the reply with a laugh.

"Well today might be the day Johnny, you never know though because, old age and treachery..." the old man began.

"Will always overcome youth and skill." Johnny finshed for him with a smile.

That night he sat down and wrote a letter to ask permission to come and visit, remebering the events of those years like it was yesterday.

Japan 1942

"Level off at 1000 feet." I told my co-pilot.

"Roger, 1000 feet". came the reply.

"Pilot to crew. You know the drill. This is it boys, we've practiced for the past six months and now it's time. Keep you're voice calm and don't yell into the mic. We're 5 minutes from target. Once we drop our bombs we scatter and follow whatever course for 20 minutes then we head to China. Any questions?"

"Sir, left waist here, you know we don't have guns due to the weight restrictions. What if we run into enemy fighters?"

"Just relax and hope we don't John, and if we do we'll try for cloud cover to lose 'em." I replied.

"2 minutes to target. Bombadier you have the plane." the co-pilot spoke out. "Stations everyone and keep an eye out for fighters." I said

"Sir this is top turret, looks like the lead planes woke them up. Flak is gettting thick."

"Copy that Jack." I replied.

"Jesus I hate it when that happens. It always gets the tail first." came the retort from Frank Mathews at the tail gun.

"Calm down Frank, we caught em flat footed and they still have to adjust for the varying altitudes." I replied to him.

"I'll remember that Joe, when I got an extra couple of pounds in metal in my butt." quipped Frank.

The flak was starting to get kinda thick, when a burst caught us.

"Damage check!" I called out.

"Minor damage to the tail fuslage."

"See, see I told you. Tail always gets it first." Frank replied nervously.

"1 minute to target." co-pilot spoke.

"Looks like they got the range, everyone get ready." said Jack from the top turret.

"Stand by, stand by, stand by... BOMBS AWAY, BOMBS AWAY, BOMBS AWAY...!!!!" called out Rich from the bombadier station.

"Frank check damage and call it out." I said.

"Looks like direct hits on the power station. Secondary explosions now. WOW!!, looks like we hit some gas lines or something. We got a line of explosions leading west for about 1000 feet." called out Frank.

"Any buildings to west go up?" I asked.

"Yeah, looks like 2 small ones and 1 big one." Frank replied.

"Damn, there is supposed to be a school to the west. I hope it didn't get it." I replied.

"Hey come on Joe those japs deserve it after Pearl." Frank said from the back.

This was followed by a few "yeah damn right's."

"Knock it off!" I yelled out. "No kids should have to go through that."

"FIGHTERS, FIGHTERS, 2 o'clock low." cried out Smitty from right waist. "Jesus Christ were screwed now. Lets climb for the clouds." I cried out. As I started the climb all of us heard that awful ping and pphhhtt of bullets ripping thrugh the air frame. "Jack, can you get a shot at em?" I asked.

"No sir, to low." he replied. More bullets ripped through the plane.

"Call out stations." I said.

"Left waist, Bombadier, Top turret, Co-pilot."

"Frank? Smitty?" I asked.

"They're gone sir." John replied.

Damn, gotta get to the clouds I thought.

"Fire on number 2. Pulling fire extinghuisher t-handle." After a moment. "Fires out, but we're streamin fuel."

"Well that's just great. There goes China." cried out Jack. More bullets rip through the plane.

"Christ!! We're on fire, right wing. Looks like this is it." called out Jimmy from the co-pilots seat.

"Sorry fella's time to go. Try to bail out close together and hope for the best. See ya on the ground guys." I told them. As they left the aircraft, it rolled hard to the right. Damn, I ain't gonna make it outta here I thought to myself. Trying as hard as I could I finally got it out of the bank it was in, unfortunatly it was to little to late. To low to bail out, time to ride it down, if it don't explode first. I thought to myself. Looking out I saw I was over the country side. No cities or towns nearby. Mountains. About that time the wing exploded. The aircraft pitched to the right again and just kept on rollin. As the airplane rolled for the third time it hit the trees belly first and just came apart.

The next thing I knew I woke up in a bed. One of those funny beds that are on the floor. I tried to move but my right arm and left leg seemed stuck. Craning my neck I can see my arm and leg are in a splint. My mouth was really dry and I wanted a drink of water.

"Please lay back. You are badly hurt and need to rest." a voice spoke to me in english. Looking over I saw a man in a long robe and wearing glasses. He looked to be about thirty to thirty five years old.

"Where am I?" I managed to croak.

The man got me some water, and said "You are at my home. You have been here for two weeks, and yes you are still in Japan. My name is Katsihito Masaki."

It seemed I was in out of it for about another week before I could stay fully awake for more than a few minutes at a time. During that time I had managed to tell my savior who I was, mostly name, rank, serial number and birthdate. I asked him about the rest of my crew. He told me they had been captured. I felt pretty bad about that. They were good guys and I hoped they would be ok. I asked him about the other two crewmen in the aircaft. He told me he had pulled them out and buried them near the crash site, then he gave me their dogtags. As we talked I found myself wondering more about my host. He didn't seem like an enemy. He was quiet and reserved and well spoken. I asked where he had learned to speak english? His reply was that in his younger days he had traveled quite alot and spoke a number of languages, english being just one.

England Spring 1427

The young man walked through the country side admiring the natural beauty of the majestic forest he was passing through. I've been in this country for five months and this is first time the sun has stayed out this long. he thought to himself. Of course winter had just let loose its grip and spring was in the air. He thought about the young couple he had stayed with during the winter here. Kind and considerate helping him learn their language and in turn he helped them with their meager farm. A sudden noise drew his attention. A man emerged from the brush along the path he was walking on. He studied the man and what he saw was not good. He was average height but the look on his face was one of contempt. He had a short sword in his right hand and a dirk in the other.

"Going to London?" the man asked.

"As a matter of fact I am." the young man replied.

"Well, its gonna cost you. You see this is my path and the land around here belongs to my friends. We'll just relieve you of you gold and as long as you don't give us no trouble you can pass." The brigand spoke. As he finished four more men stepped out from the woods to surround the stranger.

"Well I would be happy to to that except I have no gold." the stranger spoke. This set the ruffian to think for a minute, as he looked the stranger over he noticed the weapon at his side. "Then that sword at your side well do then." The brigand said.

"I am afraid that is not an option." the stranger replied.

"Then I guess we have to do this the hard way." as the brigand said this the other men with him drew there weapons.

"You can still walk away with your lives. You don't have to do this." the stranger spoke with a tinge of regret in his voice. As soon as he said this the first man charged him from behind. Not drawing his weapon the man jumped straight into the air and spun around to deliver a flying kick to the mans head, dropping him like a stone. He landed lightly on his feet and resumed a casual stance waiting for the next man.

"You can stil.." without waiting for him to finish two men attacked from the right. Dropping into a crouch he tripped the first of them with a leg sweep. Rising quickly he dodged the slash from the other and as the blade swept by him he struck the man with a two handed chest strike. The thief stopped and looked at the man, as he did his eyes glazed over and he collapsed. By this time the one he tripped was back up and mad as hell. He tried to slash at him repeatedly but the young man just dodged all the attacks with no effort. Finally tired of the game the young man moved so fast all watching were stunned. He stopped his assailant with a series of strikes to his head and chest, the final blow was a kick to the chest that sent the man sailing twenty feet through the air to land unconscious. Before the thief had landed, he moved to the man on his left and swept his feet from under him and struck him once in the chest and once in the face rendering him unconscious. He leapt from the fallen thief to the leader. The man was trying to back away but the this stranger was too fast. He managed to bring his weapons up but was suddenly struck on his arms and wrist. His hands went numb and the weapons fell fom his fingers. Looking up he noticed the stranger standing there staring at him.

He never even drew his sword. the brigand thought to himself.

The stranger finally spoke "you should chose a new line of work. If I had been so inclined I could have killed you."

"Who are you?" the thief asked with awe in his voice.

"Just a traveler." came the reply as the man walked away.

Japan Fall 1942

One day when he came to visit, there was a beautiful woman with him. "Joseph, I would like you to meet my wife, Itsuki." he said.

"Hello Itsuki" I said.

She looked to her husband and he spoke to her "Ohayo Gasiamas."

She looked back to me and said "Ohayo gasiamas Joseph-san."

"Please just call me Joe." I replied.

She looked to him and he spoke to her and she nodded and turned to me again "Joe" with a smile that lit up her face. I smiled back. It felt really strange to be accepted in this time of war, but I got the feeling that they understood it was governments not people who made war. After I had been there for about six weeks I asked a question that had been on both our minds "So what are you going to do with me when I recover?"

''That depends on you." he replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well you are welcome to stay here or you can take your chances in the country, but where would you go?" he asked my with a slight look of amusement on his face. I thought about what he said and I realized he was right. Where could I go? Deep in the heart of Japan no friends except Katsihito and his wife. China was too far to try to reach. My options seemed limited for now.

Looking at him I said "Well if I won't be any trouble, I'll take you up on you're offer, but I also expect to earn my keep."

"Of course, and I have just the thing in mind." he replied with a grin that made me think of Chesire cat from Alice in wonderland. Another two weeks and I was able to move around with the help of either Katsihito or his wife. I got to admit that this area of Japan was beautiful. It was nice to sit and relax and just watch the day. Finally the day came about two months later when I could get around with just a cane, and that was the day Katsihito put me to work. Mostly cleaning the shrine. After about a month he asked me if I would like to train with him as his student. His reason was he needed to keep up his practice but with the war there were no students to train. I accepted his offer and we started training in the art of sword fighting techniques. Now I had a little fencing in colledge and I thought I might show him some things, but after the first couple of butt whoopings I realized I was outclassed. Let me tell you those bokkens as they are called hurt like hell. They look kinda like a calvery sword but with out the hilt and crossguard. My first winter in Japan was interesting, since I came from Arizona. I knew what cold was but snow was really neat, for the first two weeks. After Katsihito had me shovel the shrine steps and the temple itself, it became rather mundane.

After one of our practices, I went walking around and found a path I hadn't noticed before. Following the path, I came to a cave. Since it was kind of windy and cold, I went inside a little ways and came to an iron gate with a lock. I had just checked it out a little bit when a voice asked "Can I help you?"

I must have leaped four feet into the air while doing a 180 degree spin to land in a defensive crouch. "JESUS!!! you scared the snot out of me Katsihito". I exclaimed with my heart hammring in my chest. That man had to be the quietest person in the world.

"Well I am glad to see that you training is starting to pay off, but you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times." he laughed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine." I replied. What is this place?"

This is the reason the shrine was built. This is the resting place of the demon of the Masaki shrine." he spoke with a remorseful look on his face. Then he related the story of the fight between the demon Ryoko and the samurai Yosho. When he finished he looked rather sad and I asked if I had done something wrong.

His reply was strange "No. You have done nothing other than being curious. I was just remembering something from long ago."

Japan Spring 1552

It's been over one hundred years since I've been back, my Funaho seems to be doing fine and Ryoko is still alive but quiet. I think she can sense her surroundings. I still feel bad about the fight, but if I didn't do what needed to be done someone would have had to kill her. I hope Tsunami is right to imprison her like this. I know Ryoko is aware and not sleeping and I feel for her, but Tsunami says it must be this way and I must trust her judgment. That poor child has been used for so long as an instrument of evil, and never had the chance at a normal life. I will make it up to her when Tsunami says it is time to release her. So far I had traveled the known world. I have learned six languages so far, and the travels were enlightening. I have had my share of troubles with bandits and others who seek entrance into Ryoko's cave, thinking of a hidden treasure there, so I have started the rumor of a demon who sleeps there. Using Funaho's power, creating the effects are rather easy. Most of the common people are easily disuaded from here but the shoguns are more of a problem. Several times I have had to kill them to keep the secret. It is such a waste of life. Greed and power make even the most humble of men do things they would never dream of. All it takes is a bad situation with no appearant way out and they turn to the basest of insticts, survival by killing and stealing what others have worked hard for, just so they can live in the comfort they think they deserve. They may have been good people at one time but no more. I have also realised something else, I will have to leave here at least every eighty years or so and remain away long enough to reestablish a new identity for the next priest of the Masaki shrine. Funaho will have to keep watch for me while I am away.

Japan Winter 1943

During our training Katsihito was very patient and didn't beat me to bad, and after every session we would talk of our respective lives. I didn't realize it at the time, but every lesson we had was designed to teach me something more than just the sword. He also taught me about Japans history and culture. He also taught me the language, the social structure, and how to look behind the topic of discussion to what was not said but implied. As he taught me the language, he suggested I use it all the time so his wife wouldn't feel left out. After about a year, we were having a political discussion after our latest lesson, when he looked at me and asked "Joe, how do you think the war will turn out?"

"I honestly don't know?" I replied. We had lost the Phillipines and the war wasn't going to well in the Pacific. As to the European theater I had no news. "I think America will not loose, but we won't win either. We have the industry to overcome Japan, but with what you told me about your emperor and the loyalty he commands, we will have to fight every last man in Japan to win." "That is my feeling also." he replied. We were silent for a while after that. Each of us thinking our own thoughts on this subject.

"The only way for one or the other to win is to remove the will to fight. I do not think Japan has the capability to do that, but I think America does, and that has me worried." he said after a while.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He replied that one of the only ways to remove the will to fight was to show how far one was willing to go to win. "If you were to destroy cities one by one, do you think the enemy will sue for peace, especially if you could not be stopped?" he asked.

"I would suppose so." I replied. We sat there in silence for a while longer. Katsihito got to his feet and said that the lession for today was over. "Remeber to finish cleaning the steps and then we will have dinner." He spoke distantly like something was weighing heavily on his mind.

America Spring 1909

I have been in this country for twenty years now. It is really an interesting place. The fire that devastated Chicago is still in recent memory. I find it hard to believe that a cow was responsible for the destuction of an entire city. In retrospect the earth quake that devastated San Francisco several months ago was probably equal to the fire. I've seen devastation equal to that on Jurai when Ryoko attacked. Weather it is an act of nature or the actions of an individual the results are still the same, loss of life and property damage in excess of millions of dollars. The money is not as much as a loss as is the life and the memories that will scar the survivors for generations. I have also visited the cities of New York, Boston and Phillidelphia. These americans are really amazing. The spirit and tenacity they show when they advanced into the untamed lands across this country are equal to the early explorers of Jurai when they started exploring space. When I first arrived in this country in 1889, I started exploring the mid west. I had used Denver as a starting point. I went to the Wyoming and Nevada territories. The Souix and Apache indians were a very fierce and proud people. They are misunderstood by the common people and hated by the greedy ones. They are soon to be deprived of their way of life and will soon be wiped out by the white man for nothing other than profit. All men want a life of their own but to take it at the cost of others is wrong. But this is not my fight so I will take my leave of them and wish them well.

Japan Summer 1944

We had just finished another training session and I finished cleaning the steps then I got cleaned up for dinner. Let me tell you, Itsuki could cook like there was no tommorrow, and her food was great, but I could sure go for a buger and a coke. I realized I was starting to miss America more and more. I also think Katsihito and Itsuki realized it as well. July 19, 1944. I was feeling really depressed and it showed. Katsihito as beating me at even the most simple tasks in training. After a half an hour he called a stop to it and asked me what was wrong. I told him I just wasn't feeling well.

"And you think an enemy would care about that?" he snarled at me. "You should never let your guard down always be alert to your surroundings. You never know what may come for you at the time you least expect it. Very well", he sighed "we will continue tommorrow. Finish sweeping the shrine and we will go eat."

"I am sorry Katsihito. I just feel out of sorts today and I can't figure out what is wrong." I replied. I felt really strange like I was forgetting something. I finished sweeping the shrine and started to go when Katsihito stopped me. "Joe, why don't you come in and have some tea. It may ease your spirit a little." I went inside the shrine office and sat at the low table. He poured the tea and we drank in silence.

After a while he looked up and said "You miss your homeland don't you?"

"I guess it kinda shows doesn't it." I replied.

"It is only natural, you have been here for over two years and you must be tired of being confined to this shrine." he said.

"Yeah I guess that must be what it is. Maybe I should try for China." I replied.

"No, I would advise against that." Katsihito said. "I think we can find something around here to relieve your cabin fever." this said with a smile. "Come, let's go and see what Itsuki has for us to eat." As we walked down the steps I wondered what he had in mind to help me out of my mood. We walked into his house and I was suprised to find some banners and colored streamers. Itsuki came from the kitchen with a cake and some candles on it. This suprised me as wheat to make flour was rare in this time of war. As she brought it to the table I noticed on the cake in english was written "Happy Birthday Joe." I couldn't believe it. I looked to Katsihito and Istuki who both had smiles on there faces. I must have looked pretty stupid gawking at them like that, but I was still recovering from the shock of it all.

"Well say something Joe." Katsihito said. I opened my mouth but still had trouble speaking.

"How... How did you know today was my birthday?" I stammered. Even I had forgot.

"When you first came here it was one of the things you mentioned besides name and rank." Itsuki replied.

"But why?" I replied still in shock over this.

"You looked depressed for about the past week and we thought you could use a surprise to try to cheer you up." Katsihito replied with a smile.

The birthday party was just the thing I needed to cheer me up, and at twenty four years old it was the best birthday I ever had. I felt alot better and since my spirits were a lot higher, Katsihito decided to up the training to the next level, needless to say I slept very soundly the next night.

Japan Fall 1944

The next few months went by alot better than the previous years. I was really happy here and then it happened. There was the hint of winter in the air with the days nice a cool and the nights with just a touch of frost. I had been walking through the woods about three miles from the shrine just reflecting on my life and the strange turn of events that landed me here. I had sat down in a beautiful clearing overlooking the mountains and started to meditate like Katsihito had taught me. I had been there about an hour when I heard slight rustle in the brush. Raising my head slowly I looked around I saw a figure staring at me from the edge of the forest. This was not good, being an american in Japan at this time, I was lucky I hadn't been found out yet. Looks like my luck just ran out. The figure didn't move but just continued to watch me. The only saving grace so far was the cowl of my hood was up to keep the sun out of my face. Not moving from my position I called out to the figure.

"Konechiwa." (Good Afternoon) I said.

The figure slowly came towards me and I realized that it was a woman. Pulling my hood lower, I watched as she stopped about ten feet away. She was very pretty and me being a man... well lets just say it's been a while. She stared at me for a while trying to look under the hood.

"Konechiwa." She finally spoke. "What are you doing out here?"

My japanese was very good and I'm glad Katsihito had me speaking it all this time. "I am training with the local priest and I have finished my chores so I came here to meditate."

"It's a very pretty place." she said. "I will let you continue in peace then."

That's all right. I would like it if you stayed and talked for a while." I said.

"With the war I do not meet very many people and my sensai is not as pretty as you.'' I said with a smile.

She blushed a little and smiled at that. "For a priest, you are very forward."

"I am not a priest, just training with one." I replied.

"You are not a priest? Then why are you not fighting in the war?" she asked.

"I was at one time but I was injured and am unable to fight." I replied. true enough I thought to my self.

"Why do you hide your face?" she asked me.

"I don't think you would like what you see." I replied. "May I ask your name?"

She looked slightly embaressed and answered "My apologies, my name is Keiko Matsari."

"I am very pleased to meet you." I said. Then I realized I'd just back myself in a corner, as I couldn't very well tell her my name. I started thinking of all the japanese names I could think of when she asked me the dreaded question.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"My name is Hiro Masaki." I replied, hoping Katsihito wouldn't mind me using his family name.

"Are you any relation to the priest of the Masaki shrine?" she asked.

"I am a ...uh distant cousin really." I stammered out. You know the trouble with lying is the more you do it the more you have to keep track of. She save me further embaressment by taking her leave.

"I am very pleased to meet you Hiro Masaki. Maybe we will meet again?" she told me as she readied herself to leave.

"I would like that." I replied

"Well I will leave you to your meditations. Good bye Hiro Masaki." she said.

"Good bye Keiko Matsari. It has been a pleasure to talk to you." I replied.

I sat there for about another hour trying to meditate, but I couldn't get Keiko out of my mind. It really was a pleasure to talk to someone other than Katsihito or Itsuki for a change. I finally got up and made my way back to the shrine. It was starting to get cooler as the sun began to set. When I got back to the shrine, Katsihito was waiting on me.

"Did you have a nice walk?" he asked.

"Actually, yes I did. I met a young lady and talked to her for about 10 minutes. Her name was Keiko Matsari. Have you heard of her?" I asked.

"Ahh, so you finally met her have you? Yes I know her. She lives a few miles away. She is very lovely isn't she?" he replied. "She didn't see your face did she?" he asked.

"No. I had my hood up to keep the sun out of my face fortunately." I replied.

I then told him about our conversation and the name I used and asked if it was alright.

"Better to ask forgivness than get permission, right." he replied. "Still I guess it couldn't be helped, but I will instruct you in the proper use of words with a woman." with that he tossed me a bokken and proceeded to instruct me.

After about thirty minutes of instruction he called a halt to the practice.

"All right "Hiro" my cousin, finish the katra and then we will eat." he said with a smile.

"Sure." I replied rubbing my head.

About a week later I was sweeping the steps when Katsihito walked up and handed me my cloak.

"Put the hood up "Hiro", we have company." He said.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It is Keiko Matsari and her mother." he replied.

"Why is her mom here?" I asked "and what do I do now?"

"The mother usually accompanies the daughter to a marriage meeting, and you will wait at the shrine." he replied.

"Ma, marr, marriage meeting?" I stammmered.

"Yes. Maybe she was quite impressed with your use of words at your rendevous." he said laughingly. "Or maybe she really needs a husband and will settle for you."

"Hey!!! That's not funny." I replied with a snort. "I'll be hiding at the shrine." I mumbled.

"While your up there, sweep the walkways. It will show that you are a hard working husband." he laughed.

"Don't you mean wife?" I quipped.

As I got to the shrine I started sweeping the walkways. I kept glancing down the steps to see if anyone was coming. After about an hour I settled down, finished sweeping the walks and went into the shrine for tea, it had been an hour and I figured they wouldn't be coming so I relaxed. Big mistake, I had just made the tea when the door opened.

"Hello Joe". Keiko spoke softly.

I froze. No use denying it now, the hood was down and there was no way to hide my light brown hair.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked in a subdued voice. Then it hit me... "How did you know my name?"

"My sensai told me." she said.

"Who is your sensai?" I asked.

"Itsuki Masaki." she replied.

"When did she tell you?" I asked rather suprised.

"About four months ago." she replied with a smile.

The look of shock must have been something she had never seen before

on a gaijin, she started to smile and then she told me to close my mouth.

"Then you knew who I was before you met me?" I asked increduously.

"Yes and I was looking forward to meeting you anyway." she replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"After Katsihito and Itsuki told me about you I was curious. I wanted to see if you were the gaijin monster the government told us about or the kind man that the Masaki's were caring for." she simply said.

"And now that you met me what do you think?" I asked.

"You were kind in the forest and here as well so I don't think you are a monster. As to what kind of man you are I will wait and see." she replied.

"Well that is all I ask for is a chance." I said with a smile.

"Shall we go down to the house now, since that is why I came, to get you for dinner." she spoke with a smile as well.

"What about your mother?" I asked nervously.

"She knows about you as well. She is also curious about the "monster" of the woods." she laughed.

"Is there anyone in Japan who doesn't know I am here? Well lets not keep them waiting. One monster coming up." I laughed.

Dinner seemed like a more formal affair than normal but I just chalked it up to having guests. Through out dinner Keiko's mother asked me all kinds of questions about america. Were there cowboys on horses and did the gangsters really shoot and kill people in the cities. I told her all that was in the movies she had been watching and that most americans were alot like me just trying to make a better life for oneself. She asked about my life before they war. I told her I worked on a farm for a while when I was a boy. Then I worked for a while in a department store while going to colledge. I had to explain that one as they really didn't have department stores near here. She asked about my parents. I told her that they were no longer living. They had died in a car accident when I was little and my aunt had raised me. She said that she had done a good job because I was so polite. I thanked her for the compliment. I noticed she kept sneaking glances at her daughter and I looked to Katsihito and Itsuki they merely smiled at me. I got that funny feeling in the pit of my stomache that I was being left out of the loop again, but figured I would find out soon enough.

After dinner was over we thanked Itsuki for a wonderful meal and went to the living room and had some warm sake and talked a bit more before bidding our guests good night. As they were ready to leave Katsihito asked me if I would walk them home and I was feeling to good to say no. I got my cloak and put the hood up and then went to the little wood shed and got a lantern. It was just getting dark as we left so we lit the lantern and proceeded to walk at a leisurely pace. we talked about life in general and what we might do after the war. we had been walking for about an hour when it happened.

We had just rounded a bend in the path when three men came out of the brush.

"Well, well what have we here?" the first spoke up.

"Looks like some lost travelers needing an escort." said the second.

"Nooo, I think its just three lonely ladies looking for company for the night." the last spoke up. At that they all laughed.

"Guess again." I spoke up in an icy voice and moved in front of the women.

"Well looks like we made a mistake. Still there are two of them and one of you. Why don't you share one with us?" the first guy asked.

Thats one of the things I didn't like about Japan was the role a woman played in their society, and they way some men treat them. Still I was getting irate and decided to let them know about it.

"I am sure such fine gentle men as your selves could find your own companionship elsewhere." I suggested.

"Why should we look when we have already found these two?" sneered the second man. With that he pulled out a long knife.

The third man also pulled out a knife and said "If you leave now you won't get hurt."

The first man said nothing but he pulled out a battered samurai sword.

Having known about the history of Japan and the customs I let a few words out that would put them in a slightly disadvantagous mood. "Was that your daddy's toy or did you rob some grave to get it." I underestimated the impact these words would have because I had never seen someone so mad that they foamed at the mouth. He started his attack immediately with a clumsy overhand slash. I sidestepped and kicked him in the ass to add insult to injury. As he stumbled and tried turn around the other two came at me. As they did a little stray thought went through my mind. These guys remind me of the Three Stooges. The second guy stabbed forward at me from the left and the third one stabbed from the right. I stepped back and watched their eyes go wide as they almost stabbed each other.

I almost laughed out loud at the sight until the first one came at me again. He lunged forward and I stepped to the side. As he passed I gave him a sharp jab to the ribs. He ooofed out a breath. The second one came from behind and started waving the blade in front of my face. I raised my hands and as he watched them come up I kicked out and caught him in the crotch he went down like a ton of bricks to his knees and I gave him a solid right to the jaw and his eyes glassed over and fell face first into the road. By now the first and third guy had got back into the fray and I was more leary of the guy with the sword than the one with the knife. My mistake. The one with the sword was clumsy but the knife man was more skilled than his partner in the dirt. As the sword swung in from the front the man with the knife waited and as I dodged he stabbed. I moved right into the blade for him. The knife went in my lower back and I felt it hit the ribs and then my left side erupted in fire. I staggered away from him and went on the defensive. I knew I had to get this over with quick. I could feel the blood running down my side. I waited for the sword to come in and as he did, I faked left, moved right, the sword flashed to my left and I drew back and let fly with a roundhouse punch that dropped him in his tracks. I quickly turned my attention to the last man and he was moving in warily. I circled around him and waited. Its a good thing Katsihito taught me the meditation techniques. My side was killing me and my vision was starting to blur, but I managed to calm myself a little. In short order the last man got impatient and charged I waited then jumped high and kicked out with my right foot catching him in the chest as he staggered back I kicked again and managed to get him in the neck. As he stood there I let loose some good old american know how with the ever popular uppercut and he dropped like a rock.

When the last man had dropped, Keiko and her mother were by my side and asking if I was alright. I told them I was ok, but as I said this my vision blurred and I fell back and dropped on my butt. My head started spinning and I saw Keiko moving toward me. I don't remember much after that. I do remember stumbling to the shrine with the support of Keiko and her mother. When I woke up I thought is was late morning. I looked around and tried to figure why Katsihito had let me oversleep. I tried to get up and thats when the pain and the events of what happened came back in a rush. I moved a little slower and then I noticed Itsuki by the door. She had heard me move and had come to see how I was.

"Morning Itsuki." I said.

"Its afternoon Joe." she replied with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, you know me, if your husband doesn't beat me at least once a day, I'm not happy. So I feel like I trained a little longer than usual." I joked to her.

"Well I'm glad to see you still have your sense of humor." she replied

"How are Keiko and her mother?" I asked.

"They were really worried about you. Keiko's mother went home yesterday, and Keiko is still here and is making you lunch right now." she said.

At that moment Keiko came in with some miso soup on a tray with some juice and rice cakes.

"How are you doing today?" Keiko asked.

"Like I was telling Itsuki, it feels like I went one to many times with Katsihito during training." I replied. "But I am feeling better just a little sore. Are you and your mother allright?" I asked.

"We are both fine, thanks to you." she replied. "My mother and I wish to thank you for what you did the other night."

I was a little confused so I asked "How long have I been asleep?

"Almost two days." Itsuki replied. "You lost a lot of bood, but fortunatly the knife did not hit any thing vital."

"Oh ok." was all I could think to say. "HEY! I'm sorry. I forgot to say your most welcome and it was my priviledge to defend you and your mother the other night."

"Well let me thank you by serving you your lunch. It is the least I could do for you." Keiko said with a smile.

As she sat the tray down I reached for it with my right hand and tried to balance it with my left when a sharp pain in my left side reminded me not to do that. Keiko noticed my distress and kept the tray from spilling over.

"Here let me help." she said. "You are going to have a hard time using that arm for a few days." with that said she sat down on the edge of the bed.

I felt a blush creep my neck. I felt a little nervous when she sat so close. Remember it has been almost 3 years since I had really been with a girl, besides Itsuki I mean, and she didn't really count.

"Uhh... Thank you." I managed at last.

"Really, its no problem. My mother and I owe you far more than this." She replied.

I managed to finish lunch with out embarresing myself to much. After lunch was finished, I was talking to Keiko when I just nodded off. I woke up about four hours later. Itsuki brought me some dinner. I asked where Keiko had gone to, and with a smile she replied that she had to go home and help her mother. I must have looked disappointed because Itsuki said that she and her mother would come by tomorrow to see how I was doing.

While I was eating Katsihito came in to see how I was doing.

I finished eating and told Katsihito I was sorry for being more of a burden to him and his wife. Itsuki took this a her cue to leave. She took the tray away and left us to talk.

"You are to hard on yourself Joe. There is no need to consider what happened to you as a burden to us."

"I suppose so but I still ended up here in a sick bed." I replied.

"Why do you think you are in this sick bed?" he asked.

"I wasn't aware of my surroundings?" I questioned with a smile.

"Right. I see I will have to move your training to the next level." he said with a smile. "But in all fairness there were three of them and they were armed. You did well for one who is still a novice."

"Thanks, I think. Still I'll have to thank the movies I watched for the boxing lessons." I said.

"So, you like hand to hand combat?" Katsihito smiled.

"No, I prefer no combat at all. But if you have to fight it helps to know a few tricks." I replied with a grin.

"Well then tommorrow if you are feeling better come up to the shrine and we will see some of these tricks you speak of." Katsihito said with a smile in his eyes. With that said he left me to rest. After he left I managed to make it to the bathroom and take care of business. I got back to bed and laid down and promptly fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day was a beautiful fall October day. The temperature was cool and crisp in the morning. I got up, albeit slowly and made my way to the dinning room and had breakfast with everyone. After the meal Katsihito had me start cleaning the shrine. He told me to sweep with my left hand so it would loosen up the muscles on that side.

"Just go slow and do not try to finish today." Katsihito said.

I took his advice and worked for about three hours, then he called me to the shrine. As soon as I reached the top he charged at me with his boken. With out even thinking I went on the defensive and dropped into a crouch as he slashed down at me I charged in and grappled him. I held him with my left arm, which made that side hurt like hell, and went with a jab to the solar plexus. I was quite satisfied with the oomph I got out of him. That lasted for about a second when the boken came down on my head. I saw stars and let fly with a blind roundhouse and was surprised to feel it connect with his chest. Looking up he was staggering back as I was falling down. As I hit the ground my vision blurred and I felt the fire in my left side. Touching there I felt the blood seeping though the shirt I was wearing. Through my hazy vision I saw him approach again and tried to stand but didn't make it. As I lay there breathing hard he reached down and helped me up and over to the shrine.

"That was very impressive Joe." he said. "You are the only student to ever hit me twice in all the years I have been teaching."

While he was talking he bandaged my side.

"Well," I rasped out, "It was the only thing I could think of, get inside the weapon and render it useless. Are you OK?" I asked.

"Much better than you. I see how you were able to defeat three armed opponents. Do you feel like you can make it to the house?" he asked.

"Let me get my wind back and rest for a minute." I replied.

As we sat there I asked him a question that was nagging me for a few days.

"Katsihito," I asked quietly, " When did you and Itsuki tell Keiko and her mother about me? and why did you?"

"I told them about you just after your birthday." he replied.

He sat quietly for a few more minutes then he said "Because you need more company than my wife or I could provide. I have known Keiko and mother for a long time now and I figured she and her mother would like the opportunity to experience a different cultural point of view. I have known the Matsari's for many years and unlike a lot of people in the cities they are not prejudice to foreigners and different cultures. If you wish I can tell them not to come around for a while." he said with a slight smile.

"NO... I mean no that's all right, I really don't mind." I blurted out.

"Ahh... I see." replied Katsihito with a sly smile. "Are you ready to go to the house now?"

"Yeah, lets go." I said and stood up with a grimace.

Katsihito helped me down the stairs and to the house where he left me on the porch. It was a nice day and Itsuki brought us lunch outside. While we were eating Itsuki asked me what I thought of Keiko.

"Well she is a very nice girl and pretty too, but I am curious as to where her father is?" I replied.

"He was in Tokyo when he was killed in an explosion." she replied. "He was helping victims from a fire when a gas line exploded."

"How long ago did it happen?" I asked.

"Its been about three years now." Katsihito replied.

"T..thr..three years? Uh what caused the fire?" I asked cautiously fearing the answer.

The look the gave me said everything.

"Do they know it was me?" I asked guiltily.

"No." replied Itsuki.

When she said that my appetite went right out the window. I thanked her for the lunch and got up to go for a walk to think about this new wrinkle in my life.

As I walked I thought about what had happened. It was easy to drop bombs from altitude when you didn't have to see the victims of your actions. It was quite another when you are on the ground and have to accept responsibility for those same actions. I never felt so low in my life. I loved flying, but this wasn't something that happened every day. I meet a nice girl and her mother, save their lives, and find out I am responsible for the loss of a father and husband. As I was walking I found myself by the demon cave. I decided to sit down and try to meditate. I must have sat there for hours. The next thing I knew it was getting dark. As I got up, I must have still been weak from the knife wound. I got light headed and dizzy. I fell back and hit my head.

Have you ever had a dream that was so real, you were almost positive it really happened.

In my dream I saw a beautiful woman. Her eyes were strange, glowing green like fire. Her hair was a light blueish color. Her laugh was pure rage and evil. As I looked around I saw fires and explosions. A city was being devastated, by this one girl. The strange thing was, in the air were ships that looked like they were made of wood, and they were firing on this girl. Her eyes flashed every time she destroyed one. Then a warrior came and attacked the girl with a sword. She formed one out of thin air. The battle that followed was incredible and the warrior managed to drive her away. The dream was strange because the next thing I knew I was looking out into space. I had seen pictures in books and from movies like Flash Gordon and what I was seeing was nothing like that. It was breathtaking. At least it was until I saw flashes of red and white. The explosions were silent and eerie. Then I saw the combatants, it was one of those wooden ships from that city and a strange spiky ball like ship. Both ships were pretty badly damaged. Then the wooden ship fired a blast and the spiky ship was hit hard. the spiked ship then rammed the wooden one and they started down towards a planet, both in flames. The dream shifted again this time to the planets surface. The woman with the green eyes and blueish hair was fighting the warrior. The area around them was devastated and the combat between the two was intense. The warrior managed to get the upper hand and stabbed the girl in the neck. What happened next was unreal. The warriors sword pulsed and it seemed to draw three red gems or marbles from the girl. When it was finished the girl collapsed crying and looked lost, scared and alone. The warrior raised his sword for the death blow but then a strange woman appeared. She was more than beautiful and she seemed to radiate a power. Then she spoke and her voice was melodious.

"Lord Yosho, stay your hand. This girl is not responsible for her actions and should not be killed."

"But my lady she must be punished for her crimes." Yosho responded with hate in his voice.

"And she will. But you will not kill her. She will be imprisoned and when the time comes she will be set free. This is my wish." the lady replied.

"As you wish Lady Tsunami, it will be done." Yosho replied with a defeated sigh.

"Do not let your hatred guide you, Lord Yosho. You have taken a dangerous tool from a madman and when the time is right this man will be destroyed by her and my other champion." Lady Tsunami said softly to him.

The dream shifted to the cave I was at. Lord Yosho took the unconscious girl into the cave. I followed along and watched as he put her into a pool of water and left. At the top he used his sword to seal the wall at the back of the cave then later he built a small shrine and put the sword in it and then left. The warrior Yosho reminded me somewhat of Katsihito. Maybe it was just my mind trying to fit things into a perspective I could understand.

The dream shifted again and I was at the small pool where the girl lay. She looked like she was asleep. As I watched her laying there, I realized I was not alone. Looking to my right I saw the Lady Tsunami standing there.

"She looks peaceful doesn't she?" Lady Tsunami asked.

Moving suddenly I jumped left. Talk about having the bejesus scared out of you. She smiled at my reaction.

"You don't have to be afraid." she said.

"Wh... Whats going on here? Your not real and neither is she. This is just a dream brought on by a legend and my nearness to this cave and the weakened state I'm in." I stammered. I was really starting to question my sanity about then.

"Yes it is a dream but one that is based on fact." she replied.

"Who are you?" I asked.

" I am the goddess Tsunami. I am the protector of this universe." she stated as if that said it all.

"Sure. It all makes sense now. This is a dream so that must make me the guardian of this planet." I replied with a smile. "Since this is my dream I can be anything I want. Why not go big?"

"I understand you skepticism," she said with a light laugh, "but I can assure you that what I say is true."

"How so?" I asked.

"Wait till you wake up then you will see." she replied cryptically.

"OK. I'll wait till then. So why are you here?" I asked figuring to play along.

"Your friend prayed to me and I decided that if one of my children were to pray for your well being I would see what makes you so special." she said.

"Are you talking about Katsihito?" I asked.

"No." she replied with a smile.

"Itsuki?" I asked.

"No." she said again this time with a hint of laughter.

"Well I just ran out of friends, so have you figured out what makes me special?" I asked wondering who would pray for me if not the Masaki's.

"Yes I have, and you have more friends than that." she smiled.

"I'll bet your a wiz at 20 questions aren't you? As for anyone else on the friends list the only others I know are the Matsari's. But when they find out about something I did, well I wouldn't blame them if they turned me over to the military or civil authorities." I replied. Well so much for the nice dream. That thought just sent me another wave of guilt.

"Maybe they will understand and forgive you if you talk to them about it." she said.

"Not after what I did." I said softly.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Tsunami asked.

"I guess. This is a dream after all, so why not." I said with a slight resignation. "Do you know what I am?" I asked.

"Yes. At this point in time you are an American bomber pilot." she stated.

"Right. Your a goddess so you should know these things. Then you know that on my last mission I bombed Tokyo, and as a result a girl and her mother that I just met have no father and husband." I said with remorse.

"If you just met them, why do you feel so guilty? You know people die in wars." she replied.

"Of course I know people die!" I snapped. You think its all fun and games. You think I like killing people?" I yelled at her. Two of my friends died not twenty feet from me on that raid, but they knew what the risks were, and they were soldiers not civilians. We were only supposed to hit military targets. There weren't supposed to civilians there. It's just that...Hell I don't even know what to think any more." I said. "It's just that when I start thinking about what I did to them it hurts and I don't know how to make it stop." I don't remember when I started crying, but suddenly she came over and hugged me. She touched my forehead and I felt a piece of mind, a calm of sorts come over me. I felt sleepy all of a sudden and my eyes started getting heavy. Strange to feel sleepy in a dream, but with this dream, strange stepped in a while back.

"My children were right, you are special." she spoke softly but it was a soothing voice filled with comfort and love, and most of all forgiveness.

"What makes me so special? I'm just a guy that just found out he doesn't like to fight any more. After what I did I think I'd like to trade places with that girl in the pool and forget everything." I replied tiredly.

"That girl in the pool is named Ryoko and she is a lot like you. The only difference was that she was forced to do those things you saw. You had a choice and acted according to your circumstances. What you did was not evil or sadistic. As you said it is a war and in war people die, even civilians. I'm sure if you talked to Kieko and her mother they would not only understand but even forgive you." she said softly.

The more she talked the more peaceful I became.

"Your heart and courage are what make you special, but I also sense something more. In this time of war there will be terrible events and you will be needed by more than just Yo..Katsihito and Itsuki. Kieko and her mother will need you as well." Tsunami spoke so softly.

As I looked up at her things my sight started dimming and I heard her calling my name.

"Joe...Joe wake up." Her voice sounded far away

"Joe please wake up."

"Its all right Tsunami I can still hear you." I replied.

I heard a gasp of surprise and I slowly opened my eyes. I couldn't see to well, my vision was blurry.

"Tsunami whashts wrong wishth my eyes? I can't shee to well." I asked. As I listened to myself I could tell my speech was slurred.

"JOE WAKE UP!!" she yelled.

My vision focused at it wasn't Tsunami calling me it was Kieko.

"Kieko? Whash are you doin in my dreamsh?" I asked.

My eyes closed and I dimly heard Keiko screaming for Katsihito.

The next thing I remember was it was dark out and I was in bed. I got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get a drink. Getting a glass of water I went out to the porch and was amazed by two things. One there was snow covering the ground and two my side didn't hurt at all. Looking at my side I noticed it was completely healed and on top of that there was no scar. I sat on the porch to think about this and started to remember the dream I had. I went back inside and got my cloak then went out for a walk. Looking around I saw a strange sight. It was brown with white markings hopping away down the path. I decided to follow it. As I got closer to it I could see it was a rabbit, but it still looked strange. I followed it some more and it stopped by the cave. I watched for a little while when I saw the girl from the cave. I watched her come toward the rabbit and pick it up and pet it.

"Ryoko" I whispered. To my shocked she looked straight at me. I sat on a rock and continued to watch her. She was just staring at me. Feeling pretty good I decided to try something.

"Hi. You OK?" I asked.

The look on her face was one of surprise and shock. I imagine I looked about the same. This was more than strange, it bordered on the unreal. Then I thought maybe I'm still dreaming.

I was watching Ryoko, when she started walking towards me. I stood up and took a step forward. She stopped. I stepped forward toward her and she backed up. Realizing she might be scared I backed up and sat down. I thought to myself this dream isn't so bad. I beckoned her to come sit by me. She started forward and stopped. I got off the rock and tried a different tact. I moved to one side with her watching me all the while. Standing there facing her, I fell back into the snow and started making a snow angle. When I finished I added the halo, then got back on the rock and waited. She slowly came over and looked at what I had done. She looked up at me and I smiled at her and gave a small wave. She smiled back. I looked at her closely then and realized her eyes were no longer green, they were a gold color with cat like pupils, and her ears were more elongated. This added to her cat like appearance. She looked more relaxed so I tried talking to her.

"Can you hear me?" I asked.

She opened her mouth and spoke but I couldn't her any sound.

Figures my dream would be a one way communication. Oh well at least I had a nice looking companion. Still watching her talking to me, I held up my hand and she stopped talking looking puzzled. I pointed to her and made the hand sign for talking and pointed to my ear and shrugged my shoulders, hoping to get the point across that I couldn't her anything she was saying. She seemed to get it. She looked kinda sad that I couldn't hear her.

"Hey that's all right. I can talk enough for the both of us, how about that?" I asked.

She nodded her head yes.

"Is there any thing I can do for you?" I asked.

She pointed to the cave and started walking toward it. I got up and followed her. Once we got to the gate she tried to open the lock on the gate, but her hand went right through it.

"You want out don't you?" I asked.

She nodded her head yes.

"I'm sorry but I don't know how to do that. I wish I could but... I'm sorry." I replied with a hurt look on my face.

She looked like she was about to cry so I thought about it for a few minutes.

"Hey maybe when I wake up I can ask Katsihito to let you out. How about that?" I asked.

She had a puzzled look on her face so I asked her what was wrong.

She made a sleeping motion and pointed to me.

"Yeah, seems kinda funny don't it. I'm asleep and dreaming this right now. I saw what you did to that city and those ships. I also saw the battle with Yosho. You don't look like you did then, your eyes are gold instead of green and you seem more subdued than then too." I explained.

The look she gave me was one of confusion, anger, sadness and regret.

"Are you OK? I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories... I'm sorry about that." I said.

She looked thoughtful and then gestured to my eyes with a questioning look on her face.

"You want to know how I saw that?" I asked.

She nodded yes.

"Well it's kinda strange actually. I came here yesterday and was thinking about something I had done. I got up and fell back, hit my head and I've been in a dream ever since." I told her. Then I told her about Tsunami and the dreams she showed me.

She looked shocked when I mentioned Tsunami's name.

"You OK?" I asked.

She shook her head no, then I was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"Is it about the city you attacked?" I asked.

She nodded yes.

"I know how you feel." I replied.

The disbelieving look she gave me said otherwise.

"I really do. I don't know how much you know about the world around you, but right now my country and this country here are at war. I was on a bombing raid on their major city. My plane was shot down and Katsihito found me and nursed me back to health. He and his wife are great. They didn't judge my actions. They didn't turn me over to the authorities. They got to know me and they introduced me to their friend and her daughter. The daughter is about my age and she is a really great girl. Then yesterday I found out that her father was killed in the city I bombed. How do you look at someone who befriended you and then tell them you killed her father?" I asked her. I went kinda quiet for a while just thinking about my life so far.

"Tsunami told me you weren't responsible for your actions, but I was. That's why I was out here yesterday trying to figure out what to do. So I do know how you feel. It hurts. It makes you angry. You feel guilty. You were controlled by someone, but I wasn't. I volunteered for this. I guided the plane. I did all that, because when you are at 1000 feet you can't see the faces of the people you kill. Then something happens and you come face to face with your actions and suddenly it hurts. Those faces that you can't see, suddenly come right in front of you and for me I came to the realization what I did wasn't noble or for a glorious cause, it was just plain killing." I told her.

"Katsihito taught me a lot about the Japanese people and I realized they are just like us. They laugh, they play, they work, they have families they love and then because some people in power say so, they go off to kill for somebody else's ideas that they think are their own." I said sullenly.

"I can understand fighting the Germans cause they started this mess, but the Japanese I don't know why they went against us in this war."

I looked at her and she looked to understand what I said.

She understood all to well the destruction and death I described.

"Well, I have about talked myself to death with my problems. Why don't we talk about something else more pleasant?" I asked.

She nodded her head yes and we talked about, well I talked she listened, to stories about my home and my youth. We went on like this for about an hour, then I started to get that sleepy feeling again and I told her I had to leave. She looked distraught so I promised I would come back and talk so more tomorrow.

I made my way back to the house, strange but when you dream you think you could just fly or just appear back where you need to be, but I guess I needed the dream exercise so I walked. When I got to the house I was surprised to see Keiko and Katsihito with a worried look on their faces.

"I see you have come back. Did you have a nice walk?" Katsihito asked with a slight smile.

"Actually it was a very pleasant walk. I met..." I started to say but was abruptly cut off by a very upset Keiko.

"Where have you been?" she asked with a worried look on her face. "Are you alright? When we went to check on you and you were gone I was so worried."

"I'm fine." I replied. "As a matter of fact I feel pretty good especially considering I hit my head yesterday."

They looked at me with a confused expression.

"Joe what month is it?" Katsihito asked cautiously.

"November." I replied. "Why?"

"Joe it is not November. It is February, you have been unconscious for three months with a concussion." Katsihito said solemnly.

"I'm not dreaming am I?" I asked with a surprised look.

"No you are not. Why would you think that?" asked Katsihito.

"The girls I saw. I mean I thought they were just dream girls." I replied.

"What girls?" asked Keiko with a slight edge to her voice.

"Tsunami and Ryoko." I said.

The sharp intake of breath and the look on Katsihito's face told me something more was going on here.

"Maybe it was just a dream Joe." Katsihito said dismissively.

"From the look on your face I would say not. Why don't you fill me on the details on who Tsunami and Ryoko are?" I asked with determined voice. I was not about to let it go especially with the way Katsihito tried to drop it.

"It is late. We will talk on this tomorrow." Katsihito replied with a heavy sigh. I got the feeling Keiko knew nothing about this so I dropped it and let it go with a look that said we weren't finished. With that he went to bed, leaving Keiko and myself alone.

We sat there in silence for a while, when she finally spoke.

"Are you all right Joe?"

"Not really." I replied without looking at her.

"Would it help if you talked to me about it?" she asked.

I could sense the concern in her voice.

"I've got something to tell you, but I want you to let me finish before you say anything, OK?" I told her quietly.

"Yes Joe." she replied.

"First off let me tell you that I like you. A lot." I started and she smiled at that. "You and your mother accepted me based on what Katsihito and Itsuki told you, and for that I want to thank you. You have been good to me and I just want to let you know I really appreciate it. Do you know what I did in the war?" I asked.

She shook her head no.

"I am an American bomber pilot. I was one of the people that flew on that raid to Tokyo about three years ago." I said with watery eyes.

She still didn't seem to get it.

Looking into her eyes I took her hands in mine.

"I was responsible for the death of your father. I was flying one of the planes that bombed Tokyo when your father was killed. I am so sorry that he died from that. I can't begin to even beg for you or your mothers forgiveness. I can only tell you how sorry I am." I told her with the tears sliding down my cheeks.

With that I let go of her hands and moved to the floor and bowed very deeply, prostrating myself in front of her. "Gomen Nasai" I spoke with all the regret I felt at what I had done.

I heard her start to cry and move from the couch. I heard the door open and close and she was gone.

I sat there for a while trying to figure out what to do. Soon I got up and went to the cupboard and got a bottle of sake out and proceeded to do what any man in my state of affairs would do, I decided to get good and drunk. For those of you who have never drank sake before, let me tell you it is a rice wine that has a hell of a kick. Well since I hate to drink alone, and Katsihito and his wife were asleep, I decided that if I wasn't dreaming, that had to make Ryoko real or at least a ghost. So I figured I would go and have a drink with her since she could at least listen to me and she wanted the company. By the time I got to the cave I was pleasantly buzzed. I didn't see her around but figured she might show up later, so I continued to drink and think about all I had done while here in japan. All I could think about was that door opening and closing though. The more I thought about it the worse it got. I never felt so low in my life.

"Man!! I can't believe this. I hardly know her yet..." I started talking to myself. "Maybe it's better this way. At least she didn't yell or scream at me." I said to myself.

Suddenly I had this feeling I was being watched. Looking around I saw Ryoko standing by the mouth of the cave. Taking another drink I said hi to her. She waved hi back.

"Well I told her what I did to her father, you remember me telling you about Keiko and about me being responsible for her fathers death. I told her how sorry I was and she did what I thought she would. She cried and left. Do you mind if I wait her for the authorities to come get me?" I asked her.

She looked sad and shook her head no.

"Hey don't look like that. It's probably better this way. No more hiding out and enjoying my freedom at the cost of an others life." I said. About that time the tears started flowing, the anger and regret came to the surface. Looking at her I told her if I could I would trade places with her in a heartbeat.

"You know what hurts the most?" I asked her. When she shook her head I said " I think I love her." I sat there in silence for a while when I looked up Ryoko had tears in her eyes.

"Hey come on now, you don't need to cry. Someday when you are free I know you will meet someone just for you and when you do I hope you never have to go through what I am going through now. My mom and dad were like that, they loved each other so much. We never had much, but the love they had for each other more than made up for it. I think it could have been like that with Keiko, but now it can never happen. I hope you never have to go through anything like that." I said softly. "You know I've always been told that true love goes through a lot of troubles in life but they just don't seem to matter when you have that special someone."

"I know you've been through a lot of strife, but you were not responsible and someday the truth will come out. I can see in your heart you are a good and decent person Ryoko and I just know things will work out for you." I said confidently. I saw the smile on her face and the look of happiness. Then I laid back and closed my eyes.

"Things will work out for you Ryoko, I know they will." I mumbled as I passed out.

"Level off at 1000 feet." I told my co-pilot.

"Roger, 1000 feet". came the reply.

"Pilot to crew. You know the drill. This is it boys, we've practiced for the past six months and now this is it. Keep you're voice calm and don't yell into the mic. We're 5 minutes from target. Once we drop our bombs we scatter and follow whatever course for 20 minutes then we head to China. Any questions?"

"2 minutes to target. Bombardier you have the plane." the co-pilot spoke out. "Stations everyone and keep an eye out for fighters." I said

"Sir this is top turret, looks like the lead planes woke them up. Flak is getting thick."

"Copy that Jack." I replied.

"Jesus I hate it when that happens. It always gets the tail first." came the retort from Frank Mathews at the tail gun.

"Calm down Frank, we caught em flat footed and they still have to adjust for the varying altitudes." I replied to him.

"I'll remember that Joe, when I got an extra couple of pounds in metal in my butt." quipped Frank.

The flak was starting to get kinda thick, when a burst caught us.

"Damage check!" I called out.

"Minor damage to the tail fuselage."

"See, see I told you. Tail always gets it first." Frank replied nervously.

"1 minute to target." co-pilot spoke.

"Looks like they got the range, everyone get ready." said Jack from the top turret.

"Stand by, stand by, stand by... BOMBS AWAY, BOMBS AWAY, BOMBS AWAY...!!!!" called out Rich from the bombardier station.

"Frank check damage and call it out." I said.

"Looks like direct hits on the hospital and the residential areas. Secondary explosions now. WOW!!, looks like we hit some gas lines or something. We got a line of explosions leading west for about 1000 feet." called out Frank.

"Any buildings to west go up?" I asked.

"Yeah, looks like 2 small ones and 1 big one." Frank replied.

"All right!!, there is supposed to be a school to the west. I hope it got hit too." I replied.

"Good finally some payback for Pearl." Frank said from the back.

This was followed by a few "yeah damn right's."

"I'm glad you volunteered for the demoralization bombings Joe." said Frank from the back.

"Yeah me too." I replied. For some reason after Pearl was bombed I just felt I had to do my best to strike fear and terror into the hearts of the enemy. I thought to myself.

"FIGHTERS, FIGHTERS, 2 o'clock low." cried out Smitty from right waist. "Jesus Christ were screwed now. Lets climb for the clouds." I cried out. As I started the climb all of us heard that awful ping and pphhhtt of bullets ripping through the air frame. "Jack, can you get a shot at em?" I asked.

"No sir, to low." he replied. More bullets ripped through the plane.

"Call out stations." I said.

"Left waist, Bombardier, Top turret, Co-pilot."

"Frank? Smitty?" I asked.

"They're gone sir." Johnny replied.

Damn, gotta get to the clouds I thought.

"Fire on number 2. Pulling fire extinguisher t-handle." After a moment. "Fires out, but we're streaming fuel."

"Well that's just great. There goes China." cried out Jack. More bullets rip through the plane.

"Christ!! We're on fire, right wing. Looks like this is it." called out Jimmy from the co-pilots seat.

"Sorry fellas time to go. Try to bail out close together and hope for the best. See ya on the ground guys." I told them. "Remember keep the explosives and your guns close and let's try to do as much damage as possible."

As the last of them left the plane, I turned it to Tokyo. As it leveled off and started decent, I bailed out. Pulling the rip cord I watched my plane as flew lower and lower and finally plowed into the city. It made such a nice explosion too.

I landed on the outskirts of the city, checked my ammo and took stock. One tommy gun, three clips of ammo, six grenades, and rations for two days. Hell a set of stockings for the girls and I would be in hog heaven. Time to let them know who they messed with when they bombed Pearl Harbor.

I made my way into the town and came to a square. I waited for a few minutes the cut loose with the tommy. Every time people came, I cut them down. I tossed a few grenades and watched in wonder as the flames grew higher and higher. I watched people burn, men, women, children, it didn't matter. I was there to let them know what happens when you mess with America. I was down to my last clip and down to two grenades when I saw some people trying to put out the fires our raid had started. I didn't care I cut them down even as they pleaded for their lives. I tossed the grenades into the common houses. I pulled out my knife and that's when the Japanese army had responded. I charged them and was surprised when they backed away slightly just before they open fire. I saw the flashes from the guns and felt the bullets rip through my body. I knew I was going to die but I didn't care. I did my duty and made sure they would never forget the American Demoralization shock troops. With a final yell I met my death.

"YYYYYAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

"AAAAUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I heard someone scream, only to figure out it was me. Looking around I could see the flames slowly fading into a sunrise. A dream, that's all it was. I was still breathing heavily and looking around in fear. I saw Ryoko watching me intently. I must have had a wild look on my face because she had backed away in fear.

"I... uh I'm sorry Ryoko. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just had a horrible nightmare." I said shakily. "Are you OK?"

She shook her head yes and gave me a questioning look.

"I'll be OK, I just need to gather my thoughts for a bit." I replied.

I lay there on the ground curled up in a ball just trying to get my breath and calm down. I can't believe I had a nightmare like that. I looked over at Ryoko and she made the talking motion with her hand. "You want to know if I want to talk about it?" I asked. She nodded her head yes. So I proceeded to tell her about my dream. When I finished I had the shakes once again and was breathing hard. Looking over at Ryoko I noticed her eyes were wet.

"Hey come on now, no need for you to cry. It was only a dream." I said softly.

She pointed to herself and I made the connection.

"Sorry.. uh I didn't think about what you did. You gonna be OK?" I asked.

She nodded yes. As I wiped my eyes I smiled and looked at her.

"I wish you were really here, cause it looks like we could both use a hug about now." I laughed out softly.

She smiled at that, which in turn made me feel better.

"Well, now that every one is feeling better, why don't we get some breakfast." Katsihito said in a louder than normal voice.

I jumped and spun around and noticed Ryoko had jumped as well.

"Do you enjoy doing that?" I asked in a rather annoyed voice.

"What?" he asked back with a smile.

"Scaring ten years off my life." I replied slightly miffed.

After giving it some careful thought with his hand on his chin he looked quite pleased with himself.

"Yes." he smiled back.

"I think it is about time for some explanations." I said. "I know who Ryoko is and what happened to her. I know a little about Tsunami and Yosho. So... Katsihito.. Why don't you fill in the blanks."

"Very well." Katsihito replied wearily. "Lets talk over breakfast and when we are finished you can go to the shrine and start your chores and meditations. We will talk later Ryoko."

At breakfast Katsihito began to tell his story.

"Most of what I told you about the legend of the demon is true. Yosho was my ancestor. He was a prince on a planet far from here. He went on the mission to destroy Ryoko and caught up with her on this planet. Since his ship was destroyed, he was stranded here. The tree in the lake is part of his ship. He stayed and established the Masaki shrine. He eventually took a wife and through out the years his descendants have been watching over Ryoko." he explained.

"Tsunami is the goddess of this universe. With the space tree Funaho grounded here, she has a link with this planet. She stopped Yosho from killing Ryoko. She has her reasons and does not talk to people very often, so you should consider yourself blessed that she appeared to you. That is pretty much it. Do you have any questions?" he asked.

"Yes I do, a million of them, but I can only think of a few right now. How is that tree a space ship?" I asked.

"It will help if you think of your plane. The engines of your plane make it go. But with the Jurian space ships, they are actually living ships. The tree is the heart and soul of the ship." he replied.

"Aren't you worried I will tell someone about all this?" I asked.

"Not really. I mean you can if you want but who would believe you?" He smiled back at me. "Besides I think I know you well enough to know that you are an honorable man."

"Thank you Katsihito I really appreciate you telling me this and trusting me with all this information. Just one more question, How is it that I can see Ryoko but I can't hear her? I mean I saw you talk to her and you seemed to hear her as well." I asked.

"As for how I can see and hear her it is part of my blood. As for you you can hear her too, you just need to listen with your heart." he answered cryptically. "Now go to the shrine and start your chores and then when you are done, meditate on the events of the past few months."

As I climbed the shrine steps I contemplated the last few days. I had already alienated Kieko and probably her mother as well. The authorities hadn't shown up which made me begin to wonder if the Matsari's had called them or not. Reaching the shrine I got a broom and started sweeping. You know, the actual act of sweeping is a mind numbing chore, but it allows you time to think. I started thinking about my time with Keiko, we hadn't really said anything about a relationship, but I got the feeling she really liked me. I'll go over to see her and her mother and apologize to both of them and accept their judgment for my actions. I thought about what Katsihito said, about hearing Ryoko by listening with my heart. I thought about how he could do it. He said it was part of his blood, if that was true then what was I? I finished sweeping the shrine and went to Ryoko' cave to meditate. As I got there I saw her sitting at the entrance on the very stone I fell from. She was looking up at the sky, with a peaceful expression on her face. She looked very beautiful like that. She was defiantly going to make some young man very happy some day. I sat a little ways from her and just watched her. Letting my mind relax I started thinking about my own family. My mother and father were gone and so was my aunt who raised me. Thinking more on it I traced my family back for about ten generations. I remember my father talking about how my ancestors just seemed to pop up from nowhere. They had originally hailed from what is now Scotland. My great grandfather and his wife immigrated to America around 1840 or so. The family crest was a tree with a shield at the forefront. The motto "Life through the grace of the gods". Why did I suddenly remember that? Maybe it has some pertinence to my situation.

Looking over I saw Ryoko watching me.

"Hi Ryoko. How are you this morning?" I asked.

She started to talk and made the OK sign.

"That's good." I replied. "You looked like you were enjoying the morning so I decided not to bother you. What were you thinking about when you were looking up at the sky this morning?"

She started talking again and I stopped her.

"Wait a second. I want to try something." I said.

I took a few deep breathes and started my meditation and calmed my mind. closing my eyes I told her to talk to me.

... ust thinking about... I miss... stars... I heard the broken thoughts faintly like an ethereal whisper.

My eyes shot open and I looked at her.

"Did you just say something about the stars?" I asked her with a flush of enthusiasm.

She looked shocked but shook her head yes.

"I heard it... well not all of it but I defiantly heard you." I exclaimed. "Lets try that again."

Closing my eyes and concentrating I could hear her talking in my mind.

"Can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes." I replied still maintaining my concentration. "It takes some effort to do this, so I'll let you talk for now and until I get used to it I'm going to keep my answers short, OK?"

"Yes!!!" she replied with joy. "You don't know how long I waited to talk to someone, anyone. It's been so lonely here, even though Katsihito can talk to me he doesn't come very often." She then proceeded to make up for seven hundred years of silence. She talked of how she would sit in the sun and dream of eventually being set free. How the darkness of the cave was absolute. How sorry she was about what happened on Jurai. It was nice to sit and just listen to her talk and she sounded so happy. It was nice and life seemed to just relax for a while.

After a while Ryoko started winding down and I was getting tired from the concentrating. I took my leave telling her I would be back later in the afternoon.

I made my way down to the house and had lunch with Itsuki. Katsihito had to tend the shrine and would eat later. After we had finished she started to ask how I was handling all the changes that were happening.

"Well, it is a lot to take in. I just wish Kieko and her mother weren't affected by what I did." I said sadly.

"It's only been a few days give her time to come to terms with it and I'm sure that she will understand that these things happen in a war." she replied with a concerned expression on her face. "I'll be going over there tomorrow. Is there anything you would like me to tell them." she asked.

"I can't say I'm sorry enough. Just tell them I understand that what ever they decide to do I won't hold it against them." I replied woefully. "and thank you Itsuki for understanding."

"It is no problem Joe. I am sure things will work out just fine if given some time." she smiled back. "Now why don't you help my husband at the shrine."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 A Time for Awakenings

For the next week I helped out at the shrine, talked with Ryoko, and generally just kept busy. I shouldn't forget to include my daily thrashings from Katsuhito. One morning I got up and went to the shrine. The weather was a fine spring morning, just a little cool but with the promise of a warm afternoon. The cherry blossoms were in bloom and it just seemed perfect. After my training session with Katsuhito and shrine chores I went to a clearing to meditate. I had been there for about an hour and was getting ready to leave, when a movement caught my eye. I faded back into the woods and waited to see what or who would come out of the woods. As soon as the figure stepped out I recognized her immediately. Keiko. What was she doing here? I wondered.

"Joe. Joe?" she called out hesitantly.

I stepped out and called out softly to her. "I'm over here Keiko." I replied.

"Hi." she said hesitantly with a slight smile.

"Uh..Hello." I stammered back. "Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm doing better now. My mother and I had a long talk with Itsuki when she came by last week. We realized it wasn't your fault about what happened to my father, and I wanted to apologize for my behavior that night." she said softly.

I walked over to her and looked into her eyes and told her "You have nothing to apologize for. Your reaction was normal given what I told you. I really was very worried about you but I figured you needed time to sort all this out."

"My father has been gone for about three years now, but when you told me about that it all came back. The hurt, the missing him." she spoke with tears in her eyes.

"Why don't you tell me about him. What kind of man was he? What did he like to do? I think it will help if you talk about it." I asked.

We sat in the clearing and she started talking about him. "He was a gentle man. Always caring and considerate of others. He would always make time for my mother and I. With him his family came first." she said with a far away look in her eyes.

"Sounds a lot like my dad." I replied quietly.

"What was you're father like?" she asked.

"A lot like yours. He placed family first. I remember when we would go into the city on a Saturday so we could go to the department stores for mom and he would always let me get some candy from Mr. Sorensons store. He always had the best licorice sticks." I replied with a smile remembering those days.

We talked about our families for a little while longer. After about an hour we got up and went to the house for lunch. After we had lunch we went for a walk to the Funaho tree. We walked out on the stones and sat under the canopy of shade the tree provided. We sat in silence for a while. I finally got up my nerve and asked her. "Keiko?"

"Yes Joe." she replied.

"Um... uh.. Can I ask you something? I mean... well.. uh.. If don't want to answer you don't have to." I stammered out nervously.

"Yes Joe, you can ask me a question." she said with a smile.

"Well...I like you a lot. I mean very much. And I was wondering how you...uh...well...feel about me?" I started. Why was I so nervous? I thought to myself. Because you bonehead you're in love with her, came the immediate response. It's just been a while since you talked to a girl like this.

She blushed in response to my question. "I like you as well." she replied softly.

"If I can ask... uh how does one go about courting a beautiful young lady he feels strongly for?" I asked with some trepidation. She looked at me with sad eyes and told me that it was custom to ask the girls parents first then the courting ritual itself was a long process to prove the suitor worthy. When she said the part about the parents I felt really bad. We sat there quietly for some time. She finally broke the silence by saying I should talk to Katsuhito and Itsuki on this matter. We finally got up and made our way back to the house. Once there, Keiko took her leave and left for home. As she was leaving I told her to tell her mother my I said hi.

Once she was gone I helped Itsuki with the housework. At dinner that night I asked them about the courting rituals between a man and a woman in this country. "Katsuhito? I have a question. Well actually a few of them." I asked nervously.

"Hmmm, well ask and I shall try to answer them." he replied.

"I'd like to ask about courting rituals in your country." I stated nervously.

"Well I am pleased you asked, but I am already spoken for." he stated with a glint in his eye. The tea I had been sipping sprayed across the table and after a minute of choking, I calmed down. Looking over Itsuki was smiling behind her hand trying not to laugh outright.

"I gather this is about Keiko?" Itsuki asked still smiling.

"Yes it is." I replied still embarrassed.

"Since her father is no longer alive you will have to talk to her mother first. If you like we can talk to her together." Katsuhito stated.

"I'd really appreciate that." I said with relief.

"But, it will come at a price." Katsuhito said cryptically.

I knew there had to be a catch. I thought to myself. "Alright. What's the price?" I asked nervously.

"We will discuss that with Keiko's mother." he replied cryptically. Dinner was finished and after the table was cleared we talked a little about some of the things that will be expected of me as a suitor. One of the things expected was for the suitor to be able to protect his intended. Another was providing for her, and should the parents ever come to want, the suitor must provide for them as well. After the chat, we then went to our rooms for the night.

The next day Katsuhito, Itsuki and myself went over to Keiko's and her mothers to discuss a marriage meeting between Keiko and myself. Katsuhito and Itsuki were acting as intermediaries on my behalf. By late afternoon all the details had been worked out. Katsuhito would oversee the physical aspects to prove my worthiness as a suitor. Surprisingly Katsuhito had assured Keiko's mother that I already proved that I met the spiritual and mental aspects of the courtship rituals. What I didn't know at the time, was that Keiko and her mother were ready to start the marriage ceremony the next day, but Katsuhito had stated that it would be better to wait for a while. As we walked back to the house, Katsuhito explained what I would have to do to prove myself worthy as a suitor. I would have to defeat him in my choice of combat.

Man. I thought to myself, How do you defeat some one like Katsuhito at combat? "Katsuhito? Can I ask you some questions about this fight?" I asked.

"Yes you can, but I won't promise you an answer." he replied

"Since I have to defeat you, is this a challenge from you then?" I asked.

"Yes it is. And as the challenged, you may have your choice of weapons and location." he replied. "Do you have something specific in mind?"

"Well I already know I can't defeat you with the sword. I was wondering, do we have to use weapons?" I asked nervously.

"No. The fight does not have to be a combat at all, but it does have to involve a physical challenge." he replied.

"Very well the Katsuhito. I'll be ready for your challenge in one week." I replied.

"And just what is the nature of combat?" he asked with a smile.

"Well since the challenge was issued to me, I will meet you next week at the pond. My choice of weapon will be quarter staffs in six feet of water." I responded with a smile of my own.

"Interesting, since you have the height advantage by six inches." he replied a little sourly.

"I know I can't beat you with the bokken, and I really want to be with Keiko, so I leveled the playing field as much as possible. I need all the advantages I can get." I told him with a grin.

"We'll see." he replied mysteriously.

As the week progressed I talked to Ryoko, did my shrine chores, and just took it easy. I noticed Katsuhito practicing with the staff, and had to smile. The quarterstaff was just an add-on, something to slow him down. Underwater it could only be used for thrusting, or jabbing. My strategy was simple. Keep jabbing and stay out of reach, wearing him down. He would have to spend a lot of energy either treading water or holding his breath. All I had to do was wait for my opening. At least I hoped so, he might prove to be very resourceful, so I would just have to wait and see.

The day finally came and we met at the pond at nine in the morning. I was dressed in my army pants with the legs cut off. Katsuhito surprised me as he was dressed in a loincloth. He asked if I was ready and I told him yes.

"You can still back out." he told me.

"You know I can't do that." I replied with determination. At this Katsuhito did something which surprised me. He smiled. "Lets begin." was all he said and we waded into the water.

We quickly reached the six-foot mark and Katsuhito was lightly bouncing off the bottom. I just stood there with my chin in the water. I waited for him to make the first move. It wasn't long in coming as he suddenly went under water and then bouncing off the bottom came almost out of the water with an overhand strike. I submerged and moved to the right letting his staff hit the water and watching it slow considerably. I responded with a straight thrust and watched as he tried to dodge it and was only partially successful. The glancing blow caught him in the knee as he twisted away. As he hit the water I swam under and came up behind him. I have to give him credit, as he knew I was there and jab straight back. Twisting slightly he caught me in the upper arm and I was surprised to feel it go numb. Must of hit a nerve.

I thought to myself as we backed away from each other. As we slowly circled each other I noticed he was moving kinda strange. I figured that maybe I did more damage to his knee than I first thought. Now if I can hit the other one, I should be able to take him. After a few minutes I could feel the pins and needles in my arm as the feeling came back to it. I eyed Katsuhito one final time and slipped underwater and moved toward him. I could just barely make him out in the murky water, I hoped he would have just as much if not more trouble seeing me. I brought the staff into a jab position and thrust forward at his knee and just as I hit it I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder. Quickly rolling away and kicking hard I avoided the next two jabs. When I surfaced I noticed he was treading water and had a grimace on his face. About that time I also noticed my right shoulder and arm weren't listening to what I told them to do. Moving the staff to my left hand I slowly circled Katsuhito. I was watching carefully to see how he moved, and was pleased to see him trying to tread water and hold the staff. He was no longer bouncing off the bottom.

Looking at him with a slight smile, I told him it was time to finish this. He motioned for me to come forward. Obliging him I did just that, only as I did I dived under and went for his legs again. Moving forward I noticed he was moving away. Rolling onto my back I watched as he tried to jab again but I moved the staff across my chest and deflected it to the left and then jabbed forward striking his left thigh. Pulling the staff back I deflected his next blow and thrust into his stomach with a short jab. Again and again I just used the staff to block and jab for over a minute until I swam left and surfaced for air. As I looked at Katsuhito, I noticed he didn't look as confident as he did at the start. My jabs were just short thrusts but the sharp short movements by themselves were not much to worry over, the continuous repetitions were. I figured it couldn't hurt so I asked him, "Do you wish to yield?"

"No." he replied.

"Very well then, let's continue." I spoke quietly.

I resumed my underwater tactics and was rewarded with a few hits to my chest and stomach, but using the staff to block and jab I scored more than I received. I also noticed he couldn't use his full power for the thrusts due to the water restricting his movements. After about twenty minutes, I noticed he was starting to breathe heavier. I knew I had him now. Not being able to use his legs effectively, he was having a hard time maintaining his head above water and defending against me. Not giving him any time to recover I kept up my assault on him for another twenty minutes. "Katsuhito, your are struggling, and the outcome while not assured, it is in my favor. I ask again, do you yield?" I asked with a look of concern.

He took a minute before answering. "I am sorry Joe, but no, I do not concede defeat yet." he replied with a slight grimace.

Looking at that proud man, I suddenly realized he had not been beaten in a long time. "I'm sorry Katsuhito, but this will end now." I told him and lunged forward with an overhead strike. He moved to block and with my hands in the middle of the staff I switched from swing to thrust and jabbed straight into his chest. He fell back into the water and I dropped my staff and grabbed onto his. Placing my foot on his chest I pulled and spun my body to the right and wretched it out of his hands. Quickly spinning I dodged his forehand strike and used the staff to strike out at his head. He moved to the right and took the blow on his shoulder. Moving back away from him I waited and watched, as I did I noticed he did not look to bad and was in fact smiling.

"You have proved yourself Joe and I will now concede this fight to you." He lay back in the water and swam to the shore and climbed shakily out.

"Here." I yelled out to him tossing him the staff. He caught it and used it as a makeshift crutch. I came out of the water then and as we looked each other over we started to laugh as there were a lot of poke marks on our chest and stomachs. Katsuhito though had quite a few on his legs. As we sat there on the shore I started to feel all those little hits. I also noticed that Katsuhito seemed in no hurry to move either.

"Are you alright?" I ask looking at him.

"I'm sure I will be fine with a little rest." he assured me with a smile. "You did very well Joe. I applaud your ingenuity and skill in that area of combat. As a matter of fact you are the only person who has defeated me in a duel. Ever." he said with a touch of pride. "You showed exceptional stamina and fortitude in an endeavor you clearly did not want to do. I am proud of you as my student and a man who has shown compassion and generosity in this duel."

"I thank you for your words sensei, but it wasn't a real victory but one that played on your weakness. Without the use of your legs and using a weapon not quite suited to your style of combat, the battle was an even match based on who could outlast each other." I said without a hint of pride in my voice.

"Why did you fight me Joe?" Katsuhito asked a few minutes of silence.

"Because I had to." I replied "If I didn't I would not have been allowed to court and marry Keiko."

"Then I want you to think about this. What if you were already with her and someone threatened her life? Would you feel bad about leveling the playing field to make sure she was safe?" he asked with a serious look.

"Of course not!" I replied indignantly

"Then what makes this battle any different than that? I was a threat that stood between you and her and you did what you had to make sure I could not stand in your way. You have no reason to feel like you took advantage of this situation. The only difference between this duel and an actual fight are the rules. In a fight there are no rules you do what you need to win. In this duel you did the same thing, just in a more orderly fashion. Do you understand now?" he replied with a smile adorning his features.

Thinking about what he said I guess it did make sense. The more I thought about the better I felt. "You know I guess your right." I replied with a grin. "So, I am the only person ever to defeat you in a duel?" I asked incredulously.

"That is correct and you should feel proud of your accomplishment." He replied. "However do not let this go to your head. We still have practice, although I think we will postpone it until the day after tomorrow." this spoken with a grimace as he made to get up. "I think we both need time to recover from our little endeavor."

"No argument here. I think it should be close enough to lunchtime. What do you say, ready to eat?" I asked as I helped him to his feet.

"Agreed. Nothing like Itsuki's lunch and some fine tea to put us back on our feet." he replied as we helped each other back to the house.

As we got up we got dressed and went to the house; I could feel the pain start in my right arm and shoulder. Watching Katsuhito I noticed he was leaning heavily on the staff. We got to the house and Itsuki came out to meet us. With her were Keiko and her mother.

"Well, who won?" asked Keiko with obvious excitement.

"It seems that Joe is a better fighter than I thought." replied Katsuhito with a grimace. "His use of terrain and weapons were ingenious seeing that he was fight a more skilled opponent." He really did do an exceptional job fighting for your hand in marriage Keiko."

At this Keiko's eyes light up with pride and Itsuki was also smiling knowing that if her husband was defeated by the likes of me, then I must have really wanted this woman for my wife. Keiko, still smiling brightly came up and hugged me to congratulate me. At her touch, it was as if my whole world had just came into focus and everything was crystal clear. The only down side was as soon as she hugged me, my chest and shoulder protested loudly and with a groan and grimace of pain, I about collapsed. I didn't think I was hurt that bad. She immediately let go and with a look of concern she asked if she had hurt me.

"Not really," I replied. "It's just that those staffs hurt more than I thought the would." I replied with a little smile of pain. "I'll be alright in a few days." As we ate lunch, everyone was asking about the duel and how long until the wedding. After lunch Keiko and I went for a short walk and ended up by the tree of the Masaki shrine. We sat and talked for hours about nothing just passing the time and enjoying each others company. I was pleasantly dozing just listening to her sweet voice while leaning against the tree. I don't know what happened next, but suddenly I was seeing a blueish glow surrounding the tree and while it wasn't overly bright it was weird. I looked at Keiko and noticed she had a very faint blueish glow about her as well. It wasn't nearly bright as the tree, but it was noticeable. What in the world is happening here? I wondered. "Uh, Keiko? Do you notice anything unusual?" I asked cautiously.

"Other than the fact that I'm with a very special man, no not really." she replied playfully. "Why? Do you see something I don't?"

"No. It's nothing, and your right, being here with a special woman nothing could be more perfect." I replied. I'd talk to Katsuhito later tonight. I thought to myself. But in the meantime I'd just enjoy the rest of the day with Keiko.

The rest of the day went great. After Keiko and her mom left, I went to talk with Katsuhito about my sight. When I found him, I saw he cast a very bright aura of blue, just as bright as the tree at the lake of the shrine "Katsuhito? I think something is wrong with me." I started out.

"What seems to be troubling you Joe?" he replied.

"It's my eyes. Every time I look at you, or the tree of the shrine, or even Keiko, you all cast an aura of blue. You and the tree shine real bright, but Keiko has a very light glow to her. Do you know anything about this?" I asked. Looking at him, I watched him get a very serious look on his face.

After a few minutes of thinking. He started to speak. "When did you first notice this start to happen?" he asked.

"When I was with Keiko by the tree at the lake." I replied confused by his question.

"Do you remember the story I told you about Yosho and Ryoko's fight?" he asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"Then you remember that Yosho was not a native of this planet. He also had powers far beyond the normal humans. Through the legends that are passed down, it seems that people native to Yosho's planet could see the power flow of all living things. The brighter the glow the stronger the power." Katsuhito explained.

"So why is this happening to me?" I asked with a slight concern in my voice.

"I do not know, but there might be a way to find out." he replied.

"How?" I asked with some reserve.

"Be at the shrine tree after dinner tonight, and we will try to find some answers for you." he replied with a slight smile.

It is finally happening. Katsuhito thought to himself. He is coming into his latent powers with each trial he passes.

After dinner we made our way to the tree and when we got there Katsuhito started setting up incense and charms around the tree. "Why are you doing that?" I asked hardly even trying to contain my curiosity.

"This will help you relax and reach a meditative state very quickly." he replied with a mysterious attitude.

"What do mean? You want me to meditate here?" I asked suddenly confused.

"Yes. It is necessary for you to find out the answers you seek." was the reply as he finished setting up the incense. He lit the last one and moved me to a spot in-between two large roots. "Now I want you to sit here and clear your mind and relax. You may see some very disturbing things but nothing you see will hurt you, but you must do this to find out about what is happening to you." he explained. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so." I replied, nervous about the disturbing things part.

"Remember I will be right here. Let us begin." was all he said as I prepared myself for this ritual.

Closing my eyes, I lay back and began to relax. Leaning against the tree, started feeling very comfortable, almost like the tree was accommodating my body. I could also here a faint trilling noise in the background. I opened my eyes and suddenly found myself in a strange place. The view was looking out into the stars. Looking around I could see a tree in a pond, a wooden platform and past that were park like areas of grass and small trees surrounded the pond. I could see people there as well.

"Standby for planetary entry." came a voice from my left. Looking over I saw a very ornately dressed man who looked to be in his mid twenties.

"Standing by Lord Bilalis." came a reply from my right. "The emperor will be pleased with the rediscovery of the lost colony we detected on this planet, my Lord." came a woman's voice out of the air.

(As the voice spoke I noticed the tree had beams of light bouncing into the water and then up into the air.)

"Yes he will Alisia." he replied. "What do the scans of the planet indicate?"

"Very primitive my Lord. No sign of industry. No indication of technology. It appears as if this world has yet to reach a level enlightenment. The current stage of development is limited to very crude smelting and forging, mainly for weapons, scans of the colony ship area reveal nothing but the transponder. It is only by chance we picked the signal, the broadcast is very weak. All indications indicate the ship made an emergency landing and nothing was salvageable. This would also seem to be the reason the level of advancement is so slow, if they had to start from scratch." Alisia explained.

"Any hypothesis as to why the ship made an emergency landing?" Lord Bilalis asked.

"Two possibilities my Lord. One: They had radar problems while negotiating the asteroid belt, resulting in an impact. Two: This planet has an unusual belt of radiation that interferes with the ionosphere. This would cause a blackout period for about four minutes during re-entry resulting in loss of communication and radar information coming to the ship; in essence they were flying blind. The colony ship of that era would most likely not be able to recover from the loss of signal resulting in a crash. This second case is the most likely event to explain the crash of the ship." replied Alisia.

"How will this radiation affect us should we land?" asked Lord Bilalis.

"The effect will be negligible my Lord, as the colony ship was not a tree ship, they did not have the capabilities that I have." Alisia replied with a hint of pride.

"Your still very young Alisia, what about 2000 or so?" Lord Bilalis asked with a smirk. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Of course my Lord and you are one to talk. What about you just out of puberty I think, and we were only paired about 150 years ago." Alisia laughed.

(Maybe this was what Katsuhito told me about the tree being the heart of the ship. It or should I say she also has a sense of humor too.)

"Well thank you for the reminder Alisia, now if we are through playing who is the oldest and wiser of us, let us go and check out the crash site." Lord Bilalis replied reproachfully. "Take us in helmsman."

"Aye sir." came the reply.

(With that the view of the stars rotated and then the earth came into view. I was surprised to see it. The view started to get bigger and I realized this was the planet they were talking about. The ship made its approach and was just entering the atmosphere when I sensed a feeling coming from the tree.)

"Lord Bilalis. There is a solar flare occurring. This will cause an extended period of blackout. Current readings show we will not survive the flare. We must increase speed and make it into the atmosphere in the next thirty seconds to survive; however this will also jeopardize the landing. I estimate a twenty five percent survival probability. I am sorry Lord Bilalis. I have failed you." Alisia informed him sadly.

"HELMSMAN. DO IT NOW!" Lord Bilalis shouted.

"AYE SIR." came the frightened reply.

(Warning lights and klaxons started sounding as the ships speed increased. as the ship hit the atmosphere it started to buck and shake. The temperature inside seemed to increase and the feeling in the air was extreme worry. A few minutes later the whole ship shuddered really hard and cracking splintering noises could be heard.)

"Lord Bilalis. Ship integrity is compromised. Recommend jettisoning the ships outer shell." Alisia spoke out with fear in her voice.

"JETTISON SHIPS EXTERIOR NOW!" Cried out the panicked Lord.

(I could hear the explosions throughout the ship and the view outside showed large pieces of wood on fire racing away from the ship.)

"Divert all available power to the ships shields." Lord Bilalis ordered. "Alisia deploy the light hawk wings."

"Lord Bilalis, even with the light hawk wings, the crew will not survive the impact. Recommend they abandon ship at the earliest possible moment." Alisia informed him.

"What about you? Will you survive the crash?" the Lord asked with concern.

"Yes" she replied sorrowfully. "But this planet will not sustain me for any length of time. With out the life giving waters of Jurai I will die in the span of a few hundred years."

(Looking out at the view, the area the ship was heading for appeared to be Europe. I could hear the evacuation orders being given and the last words of the captain.)

"All the crew is evacuated safely my Lord." Alisia stated with sorrow in her voice. "I am sorry my Lord for getting us into this situation."

"Please Alisia, don't worry. This was an unforeseen event and it is no ones fault. I will see you on the ground. Tsunami be with you." Lord Bilalis spoke to her. He then turned and made his way to his escape pod.

"Tsunami also be with you Lord Bilalis." Alisia replied softly.

With that the image I was seeing went black and I found myself seemingly nowhere. I felt kind of groggy and out of it. As I tried to figure out what was going on I heard a soft voice in the back of my mind. "Do you understand what you have just witnessed?" came an ethereal voice.

"Not really." I replied. "Who are you and where am I?"

"I am Lord Yosho's tree Funaho, and you are seeing a memory module from another space tree." came the reply.

"How am I seeing this and why are you showing it to me?" I asked.

"This is Tsunami's will and the man you have just seen is Emperor Azuza's first cousin. He was on a long range mission to find some of the lost colony ships sent out by Jurai during a period of expansionism." Funaho replied. "He and his ship were thought to be lost, but when my Lord and I battled Ryoko and ended up here I discovered her still alive on this planet. I was surprised to find her still living, but her energy had been depleted to the point that she was no longer aware of what she was. I have been feeding her some of my energy and she is now waking up from her dormant state. That is why some of the things you can see and hear are happening to you now." she explained.

"So what does this have to do with me?" I asked not really understanding.

"You are directly descended from Lord Bilalis. In essence you are of the royal blood line of Jurai." she replied.


End file.
